KARACHI: Pakistan Test cricketers Salman Ali Agha and Fakhar Zaman hit centuries as the President’s Trophy Grade-I got under way at four venues on Saturday, with the former making an immediate statement after being dropped from the national side.
Salman, one of the seven players sent home after Pakistan’s defeat in the second Test against England at Lord’s last week, struck an unbeaten 101 to help Kingsmen Academy reach 275-3 at stumps against MIT Solutions at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium.
The right-hander rescued Kingsmen after the pacers Salman Aslam, Samama Riaz and Mohammad Ismail reduced the side to 72-3, putting together an unbeaten 185-run stand with Mohammad Suleman, who was 83 not out at the close.
Kingsmen Academy are playing in their maiden first-class tournament.
At the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium in Peshawar, Fakhar, a white-ball mainstay for Pakistan, struck his seventh first-class century as Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) reached 371-5 against Ghani Glass.
The left-hander scored a brisk 128 off 136 balls, hitting 16 fours and two sixes, and shared a 90-run fourth-wicket stand with Imran Rafiq, who contributed 95 off 134.
At Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad and Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, rain and wet outfields restricted play to 45 and 19 overs respectively.
In Islamabad, Pakistan Television opted to bat against Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and reached 131-3 by stumps, with Mohammad Taha unbeaten on a gritty half-century.
In Rawalpindi, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) opted to bowl first and their decision paid dividends as State Bank of Pakistan were reduced to 44-3 in the 19 overs possible.
Pace bowlers Shahnawaz Dahani and Shehzad Gul, along with left-arm spinner Ahamed Safi Abdullah, took a wicket apiece, with no State Bank batter managing to cross 20.
